TPPA protesters lock themselves to railway tracks

Protesters opposing the TPPA have chained themselves to the railway crossing on Lincoln Road.

Six protesters from an organisation named Our Children's Future arrived at 12pm to chain their arms on to a busy railway line in Christchurch.

The protesters blocked the line for two hours.

Other Trans-Pacific-Partnership Agreement (CPTPP) objectors stood near the road holding signs with messages against the trade deal.

Christchurch police arrived at the train tracks shortly after midday and began negotiating with those chained up.

Police negotiating with protesters chained to the tracks.Ryan Anderson

One of the protest organisers, Charlie Drace, said there was no way any government should agree to the partnership.

"Our name is 'Our Children's Future' because taking trade agreements that have no time limit on them means that you're tying up kids and grandkids for something that could be absolutely disastrous for them," he said.

Genevieve De Spa, a protester chained to the tracks, said she was really concerned about climate change, the increase of exports intensifying our dairy industry and the inability to make our own laws under the agreement.

She felt the only way to make a strong point now was through peaceful, civil disobedience.

An elderly protester Juliet Adams said as a grandparent she was concerned that if TPPA took over, the power would be in the hands of the corporates.

TPPA protesters hold up signs for the passing traffic.Ryan Anderson

After negotiating with the protesters for longer than two hours, police managed to convince those chained to the tracks to leave peacefully.

Police said the protestors unchained themselves at 2.14pm and were each given a trespass notice.